Host, you should buy a history book and take a look. The relationships between powerful families are intricate and complex; who would dare to gamble everything? The Wan family gave Wan Zhenzhen half of their fortune as a dowry—that's incredibly generous! As for the Wan family's second daughter, Wan Yanyan, although the Wan family also prepared a grand dowry for her, it can't compare to Wan Zhenzhen's at all!]
Isn't this old man Wan afraid that General Su will have a problem with him?
[Host, there's an order of seniority. Besides, Wan Zhenzhen is going to be the wife of the heir apparent, the future mistress of the Marquis's mansion, and also part of the Crown Princess's maternal family. It's not unreasonable for her to have a generous dowry! Moreover, the second daughter, Wan Yanyan, also has a substantial dowry!]
[Alas... the Wan family has gone to great lengths for their daughter; the hearts of parents are truly selfless.]
The entire court of officials nodded in agreement.
The head of the Wan family loved his daughter.
Hearing Shen Mingzhu's words, Crown Prince Yan Beichen had much more to think about.
The Wan family is already incredibly wealthy, and this extravagant wedding for their daughter can be seen as a way to protect themselves.
However, glancing at the girl beside him, seeing her chatting happily with Guagua, he pursed his lips and stood silently beside her.
[Guagua, Wan Shijie doesn't have a son, right?]
[Host, Wan Shijie has three sons born out of wedlock and two daughters born out of wedlock.]
[All right. ]
[Host, host, explosive news: Ruyan has successfully ascended to the throne and will soon become the Duchess of Protectorate!!!]
Wow, Guagua, the Duke of Huguo's mansion will be filled with the aroma of tea from now on! Young Master Gongsun Yao is doomed!
Su Huaiyuan: Alas... that afternoon at Tianxiang Restaurant was ultimately wasted!
The entire court praised the Duke of Protector of the Nation, saying that he was still vigorous despite his advanced age, and that his wife was younger than his son!
Shen Mingzhu: A woman in her prime is at the most beautiful age, it's normal for the Duke of Huguo to be moved.
Crown Prince Yan Beichen: No matter what age Mingzhu is, she is always in the most beautiful years.
Emperor Jingyuan: What a disappointment!
Prince An: Sing "Conquer," sing "Conquer!"
I've been conquered by you just like that...
Emperor Jingyuan glanced at Prince An, who immediately became obedient and pricked up his ears to continue listening to the gossip.
[Host, the invitation from the Duke of Protectorate has been sent to the Marquis's residence and other major families in Shengjing today.]
Wow, it seems the old house of the Protector-General, Gongsun Yuan, has caught fire and the situation has spiraled out of control. And it's quite a grand affair!
[Host, they're welcoming her with the grand ceremony of an eight-bearer sedan chair, the proper respect due to a principal wife. Prince Gongsun Yao is furious, vehemently opposing it, and is now being punished according to family rules, kneeling in the ancestral hall!]
[Guagua, an old steed in its stall may still aspire to gallop a thousand miles; a hero may grow old, but his heart remains undaunted! The old Duke has found his spring again!]
Su Huaiyuan: Listen to this, listen to this talent!
Well said!
The Duke of Huguo is quite old. Spring, could we please stop looking for him?
Duke Gongsun Yuan, the Protector of the Nation: No!
This old man is half-buried in the ground, so what's wrong with me wanting to live a happy and carefree life for two years?
Who did it bother?
Heir apparent Gongsun Yao: Father, you're in my way!
Liu Ruyan is a liar!
Your son is innocent!
Gongsun Yuan: Yao'er, you are not allowed to slander your mother!
Gongsun Yao: Bah! Vixen, she is not my mother. My mother has gone to the Western Paradise.
Duke Gongsun Yuan, the Protector of the Nation: Get out! Go kneel in the ancestral hall and come out when you've thought things through!
Liu Ruyan: Duke, sob sob sob... In the end, Ruyan is not worthy of you.
Waaaaah, Ruyan is so heartbroken, Ruyan is so helpless, Your Highness...
Liu Ruyan looked at him pitifully, and he felt like a peerless hero. Ruyan was the little girl he had to protect and save, and he had to protect her.
The entire court of officials said: "The Duke of Protectorate has been bewitched."
Quickly summon the abbot of Huguo Temple to exorcise the evil spirits!
Abbot of Sanqing Temple, come quickly!
The Duke of Shengjing's Protectorate needs you!
Shen Mingzhu: I never thought that love-struck people could appear in the elderly.
Wow! Guagua, the Duke of Protectorate was shrewd his whole life, but who would have thought he'd become so love-struck in his later years? How pathetic.
Emperor Jingyuan: My dear Minister Shen, hurry and try to save him!
Shen Mingzhu: Your Majesty, those with a love-struck mind have to hit a brick wall before there's even a 50% chance they'll turn back.
Crown Prince Yan Beichen: It seems necessary to go and see Gongsun Yao, the heir of the Duke of Protectorate.
To avoid being schemed against.
[Host, the Duke of Protectorate is going to hand over his power to Liu Ruyan so she can learn how to manage the household! My goodness, he's spoiling her rotten! It's practically a scene from "The Domineering Duke Falls in Love with Me, Sweet Daily Life of Pampering!!!"]
Emperor Jingyuan: It's a waste of the Crown Princess's talent not to write storybooks!
Shen Mingzhu looked at her father in front of her and saw that he was wiping sweat again.
[Guagua, why does my dad keep wiping away sweat? Is he weak?]
Maybe? The national treasury has been spending huge amounts of money lately; it's exhausting.
Crown Prince Yan Beichen: Guagua even knows this?
[Guagua, when we get back, i will make sure my dad gets some good nourishment. Health is the foundation of everything, he needs to take good care of himself. I want him to grow old with my beautiful mother!]
Shen Changyuan: Thank you, my sweet little darling!
Shen Mingzhu: Dad, it's your blessing to have me.
[Guagua, tell me more about the Duke of Huguo's mansion, what's the specific situation now? Is it because the old Duke is making such a fuss?]
[Host, both of Duke Gongsun Yuan's parents have passed away. He is now in charge of the household, and his word is law. Didn't you see that even the heir apparent has been punished and made to kneel in the ancestral hall?]
What about the elders around the Duke of Huguo? Didn't they try to persuade him?
[Ahem... Those elderly people from the Duke's mansion should have been retired, some have even passed away! Nobody cares about them anymore.]
The entire court: ...What can we do?
Shen Mingzhu glanced at Emperor Jingyuan at the head of the table.
[Guagua, can Emperor Jingyuan control him?]
[Host, you absolutely must not! Emperor Jingyuan is the emperor of the entire Great Yan, in charge of all affairs of state! It's perfectly reasonable for a subject to want to remarry! Although this new wife is a bit young, Emperor Jingyuan can't stop him. Is he to prevent him from getting married?]
Emperor Jingyuan: ...I will not interfere in this matter; it is a matter of a subject's family affairs.
All the officials and civil and military officials: That's right.
Emperor Jingyuan would not interfere in the family affairs of his officials as long as they did not affect the political situation.
Crown Prince Yan Beichen: That's true.
At this moment, everyone heard the system's question.
[Host, don't you want the Duke of Protectorate to marry Liu Ruyan?]
[Guagua, there isn't any!]
[Guagua, I've been pondering a question: why are there so many girls with the surname Liu in Shengjing? For example, Liu Ruyan, Liu Qingqing, Liu Yanyan, Liu Xuanxuan… Are all these Liu family girls from the same clan?]
Crown Prince Yan Beichen: All these Miss Lius are around the ministers in the court. It's terrifying to think about.